Alive 'n Kickin'
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1968) - Pepe Cardona (RIP 2020) -- lead vocals - Robb Lapp (RIP 2020) -- drums, percussion - Jeff Miller --
keyboards
line up 2 (1968-70) NEW
- Vito Albano --
drums, percussion (replaced Rob Lapp) Jeff
Miller)
line up 3 (1970-71)
- Pepe Cardona (RIP 2020) -- lead vocals NEW
- Ronnie Pell -- drums, percussion (replaced Vita Albano)
line up 4 (1976) NEW - Vito Albano -- drums, percussion - Pepe Cardona (RIP 2020) -- lead vocals -
Richie Incorvaia (RIP) -- bass (replaced NEW
- David Shearer -- rhythm guitar
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- Brooklyn Dreams (Bruce Sudano) - Joe Bruce and 2nd Avenue (Bruce Sudano) - Bruce Sudano (solo efforts)
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Genre: pop Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Alive 'n Kickin' Company: Roulette Catalog: SR 42052 Year: 1969 Country/State: USA Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: cut out niche, still in shrink wrap Available: 2 Catalog ID: 5450 Price: $30.00 Cost: $1.00
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Alive 'n
Kicikin's big break came in 1969 when Tommy James and the Shondells caught
the group performing at a small Brooklyn Club. Impressed by the band
James offered them an opportunity to record a tune he'd written, but been
unable to record himself due to a severe case of
stage fright. Ironically, before Alive 'n Kickin' could record 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' James withdrew the offer
so that James and the
Shondells could release it themselves. Redeeming himself, James
offered the band a replacement track entitled 'Tighter and Tighter'.
As was standard
marketing, Roulette rushed the band into the studio to
record a supporting album. Produced by James and Bob King, "Alive 'n Kickin'"
proved a minor surprise. Anyone hearing 'Tighter and Tighter' (let
along looking at the fun-in-the-sun album cover), would have justifiably
concluded these guys were little more than a faceless top-40 pop band.
Wrong
conclusion. Powered by Todler's tough voice (her bluesy delivery
occasionally baring a resemblance to Janis Joplin (check out her
performances on 'Just Let It Come' or 'Kentucky Fire'), the set of largely original material rocked with
a quite a bit of energy. While it may not have made for the year's most original
set, songs such as 'Junction Creek' and 'Mississippi
Mud' saw the group displaying a penchant for above average blues-rock with
some interesting time changes thrown in for good measure.
That wasn't meant to imply these guys were going to knock Deep Purple off
the hard rock throne. With Sudano and Wilson penning most of the tunes,
about half of the track listing retained a distinctive commercial sheen.
The set was far from perfect. Nothing came close to 'Tighter, Tighter'
and when the band went off the rails, the results were pretty bad - check
out the county-tinged closer 'Mother Carey's Chicken'
or 'Hitter Man'. Still, the fact they
were allowed to record so many original tracks spoke highly of Roulette's
faith in the band. 1.) Tighter, Tighter (Tommy James - Bob King) - 2:43 rating: ***** stars If
I was going to compile a list of songs that bled that '70s pop vibe,
'Tighter, Tighter' would easily make the list. It's also a sterling
example of what a great songwriter James was. This is just a pure
piece of ear candy - virtually impossible to shake once you've heard it.
The
lyrics were forgettable, but powered by Cardona
and Todler's rugged voices, 'Junction
Creek' exhibited some interesting time changes and was surprisingly tight
and funky.
Opening
up with some nice John Parisio
lead guitar, 'Jordan' again showcased Cardona and Todler on lead
vocals, 'Jordan' added a Gospel-flavor to the mix. Parisio returned
mid-song with an even nicer solo. Very nice. Opening
with a killer guitar riff, 'Kentucky Fire' underscored these guys were more
than a pop-40 band. With Todler breaking out her Joplin edge, for some
reason this one's always reminded me of a New York City version of The
Shocking Blue. Clocking
in at under a moment, 'Sunday Morning' was more of a song fragment than
anything. With an Up-with-People religious vibe, it was bright and
tuneful, just not long enough to make much of an impact. (side 1) 1.) Just Let It Come (A. Martin) - 3:09 rating: **** stars Opening up with some nice Parisio fuzz guitar, the rocker 'Just Let It Come' was a nice example of how good Cardona and Todler sounded together. Good choice for the album's follow-up single.
- 1970 'Just Let It Come' b/w 'Mother Carey's Chicken' (Roulette catalog number R-7087) 2.) Mississippi Mud (Bruce Sudano - Thomas Wilson) - 5:42 rating: *** stars The
ship horn opening always makes me smile, as did Parisio
little guitar riff and the segment where they spelled out Mississippi.
Let me warn you that Todler sounded a little ragged on this one. A
very different sound for the band, again reminded me of one of Dutch pop
bands that was very popular at the start of the '70s. The
second group composition, 'Hitter Man' was another stab at mixing harder
rock and commercial moves. Complete with some weird time changes,
curiously, this time around the sound came off as stiff; reminding me of
something that might have been written for a Broadway play. I'm
guess 'Mother Carey's Chicken' was how a bunch of young New York City folks
thought a funny country song should sound. All I can say is the
results were neither funny, nor enjoyable. Sad way to end the
album.
- 1971's 'London Bridge' b/w 'You Gave Me Something' (Roulette catalog number R-7094) - 1971's 'Good Ole Lovin' Back Home' b/w 'Jordan' (Roulette catalog number R-7113)
n 1980 they released a private label sophomore album that I've never seen or heard. "Going Strong" was issued on the Skyline label (catalog number SK 1000)
With singer Pepe Cardona and guitarist John Parisio as the lone original members the band was still active playing weddings, graduations, and parties in the New York area through mid-2020.
In July 2020 the 72 year old Cardona died of pancreatic cancer.
Todler has a small FaceBook presence at: (20+) Sandy Toder | Facebook
There is also an Alive 'n Kickin' Facebook site, though it doesn't seem to have been updated in the wake of Cardona's death: (20+) Alive N Kickin | Facebook
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BACK TO BADCAT PAYMENT INFORMATION
Led by singer Pepe Cardona, Alive 'n Kickin' was a New York
City based sextet
showcasing the talents of drummer Vito Albano, vocalist Sandy Todler,
guitarist John Parisio, keyboardist Bruce Sudano and bassist Thomas
Wilson. Formed in 1968 while the members were still in their teens,
the group started their careers playing the city's club
circuit.
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